How to budget for a kitchen renovation: Part 2
If you are new to this budgeting series refer to my previous posts to help with your kitchen renovation budgeting:
How to budget for a kitchen renovation: Part 1
This blog entry will touch on the other big ticket items that were not considered in earlier posts. I reached out to Joe’s Carpentry and Carver Cabinetry for their expertise on kitchen cost estimates for backsplash, countertops and custom cabinetry costs to provide some insight into the true costs of a kitchen renovation. They provided these estimates, in fall 2022 and all prices are in Canadian dollars.
photo: tongue and groove backsplash, deVol Kitchens
Backsplash: The cost of a backsplash can range greatly, depending on the unit cost of the chosen product as well as the effort required to install that specific product. I say product, because backsplash does not need to be tile; for example, tongue and groove or beadboard is an alternate, classic treatment to consider. When I reached out to Joe’s Carpentry for their professional opinion on proper estimating, they suggested budgeting a range of $55 to $100 per linear foot. The most common height of a backsplash is between the countertop and upper cabinets (18-20inches in height), so for those wanting tile to extend above that height you will likely need to double or triple that cost (depending how high your backsplash will be installed).
Design: Julia DeDecker Interiors, Custom full overlay cabinetry and shelves- Carver Cabinetry
Kitchen Cabinets: Carver Cabinetry is a company in Norwich, Ontario that makes custom cabinetry, including the cabinets for my recent kitchen renovation (see photo). Their suggestion for budgeting a custom kitchen is to estimate $1200-$1500 per linear foot of cabinetry. Consider this estimate for full overlay doors and know that, depending on the cabinet front profile, you may fall anywhere in that range. A more simple profile, like a shaker door, will likely be on the lower end of that range.
In my experience, costs for a custom kitchen will increase by only a few hundred dollars if you opt for custom coloured cabinetry but the cost increases substantially (possibly double) if you move to solid wood or inset doors.
If you are looking for ready made cabinets you are likely to save money overall. My advice for those going this route, whether it be with Ikea, Lowes or another similar retailer, is to use the retailer’s online tools to plan your layout. Then make the appointment with the staff who will double or triple check your order and place the order well in advance so you have the time to wait for parts that are backordered and also provide you time to assemble the cabinets (if you go Ikea route) prior to any planned installation. Lastly, if you are not a skilled craftsman, find someone who is familiar with the product who can complete the installation. For example, if you go with Ikea, find someone who is familiar with working with Ikea cabinetry.
TIP: If you are looking at stock cabinetry but want a more custom or original look, you could consider custom doors for your cabinet boxes. Check out Kitch.ca for their custom doors that will work with Ikea cabinet boxes.
Counter tops: There are many materials that counter tops can be made of: laminate, granite, quartz, quartzite, porcelain, marble, wood, soapstone, etc. The final choice of materials is personal and will depend heavily on two things: 1. Your budget and 2. How much ongoing maintenance you can handle. Once you know which material(s) you are interested in you can look for the right option for your space. It’s important to note that within each material there are levels of price based on how and where they are manufactured, so having a wide range in your budget will give you more options when looking for the ‘perfect’ countertop. Carver Cabinetry estimates that the countertops in most kitchens they have worked on recently cost $65-$250 a liner foot.
If you have already completed step 1 of budgeting your kitchen renovation costs (see part 1 of the blog here) you can use your floorplan to properly calculate the linear feet of each of these materials that you would require. From there you will be able to estimate a range of cost for these key elements of a new custom kitchen.
